Today’s Wine Wednesday is dedicated to a wine I tried this month for an article I wrote about Kosher wines. I received four samples from Carmel winery, one of the oldest wineries in Israel with more than 140 years of history. I had heard of the winery of course in the past but this was my first real taste of their wines. Three of the wines they sent were kosher and me sugar. This one was not me Suva like.The winery was founded in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, the owner of the famous Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in Bordeaux. My favorite of the wines I received was the Carmel Signature collection Mediterranean 2017. It was a great surprise to me and I drank it over a number of days and it only got better. A blend of six grapes, 41% Syrah, 22% Carignan, 20% Mourvedre, 8% Grenache, 7% Tannat, and 2% Viognier vinified separately and eventually blended. It is quite sophisticated and brought Israel’s Mediterranean location home to me. 

The wine had aromas of garrigue, black and red currants, lovely spice, and lavender. On the palate, it was rich and enveloping, layered with nuanced oak- a lovely and balanced wine in a beautiful box.
Alcohol: 15%. SRP $25.99.

Interesting, their head winemaker is a graduate yin oenology and viticulture who completed his studies at the prestigious Viticultura de Enologia in Italy.